Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes works with his team during the first half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal game against Kentucky at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 16, 2019. Matt Stone / Courier Journal

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes calls a play during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. Kentucky won 86-69. (AP Photo/James Crisp) James Crisp, AP

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes reacts on the court during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Georgia and Tennessee on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, in Athens, Ga. (AJ Reynolds/Staff, @ajreynoldsphoto) AJ Reynolds, AJ Reynolds/OnlineAthens.com & A

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes argues a call with the referee during a game between Tennessee and Wake Forest at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, December 22, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes speaks to Tennessee's Jordan Bone (0) from the sidelines during the first half of a NCAA men's basketball game between Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky University at Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes waves to fans from the bus upon returning to Stokley Hall in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, March 29, 2019. The Vols fell to Purdue Thursday night during the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee forward Grant Williams (2) talks to head coach Rick Barnes during a timeout in the overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, March 24, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes watches action in the second half during the game against the Colgate Raiders in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, March 22, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes talks to his players during a timeout in the first half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament championship game against Auburn at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, March 17, 2019. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes argues a call with a referee during the second half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament game against Kentucky at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 16, 2019. Brianna Paciorka / KNS

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes yells to his team during the first half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament game against Mississippi State at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 15, 2019. Brianna Paciorka / KNS

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes signals his player during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Tennessee won 73-71. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Rogelio V. Solis, AP

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes speaks at a press conference on Saturday, March 23, 2019, before the Tennessee Volunteers and Iowa Hawkeyes compete against one another in the second round of the NCAA Tournament held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, March 24, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes watches from the sidelines during a game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, right, argues a foul call with an official during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in College Station, Texas. Michael Wyke, Associated Press

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander (11) during the second half of Tennessee's home SEC conference game against Alabama at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes argues a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Missouri Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson) L.G. Patterson, AP

Phillip Fulmer chats with Tennessee head basketball coach Rick Barnes in the parking lot during a game between Tennessee and Alabama at Lindsey-Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, March 23, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes shows his displeasure with a call during the NCAA Tournament second round game between Tennessee and Loyola-Chicago at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, March 17, 2018. News Sentinel Archives

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes shows his displeasure with a call during the NCAA Tournament second-round game between Tennessee and Loyola-Chicago at American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 17, 2018. Brianna Paciorka / News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes reacts during the second half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal game against Kentucky at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 16, 2019. Brianna Paciorka / KNS

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes yells to the court during the NCAA Tournament first round game between Tennessee and Wright State at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes yells at Strength & Conditioning Coach Garrett Medenwald during a game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, January 6, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and Tennessee associate head coach Rob Lanier, from left, shout at players from the sideline during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Adam Lau/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes reacts to a UT fould during the second half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, March 24, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes yells out to forward Grant Williams (2) during the second half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, March 24, 2019. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes shouts to his team in the first half during an NCAA college basketball game against the Oregon in the Maui Invitational Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Rick Bowmer, AP

Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart greets Rick Barnes, back to camera, as he arrived to announced Thursday, August 18, 2016 his retirement from the position of Director of Athletics effective June 30, 2017. Women's basketball coach Holly Warlick is right. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Michael Patrick

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes motions to a referee during the second half of an SEC tournament game against Vanderbilt at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, March 10, 2016. Tennessee won 67-65. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL) Adam Lau

Tennessee guard Kevin Punter (0), left, shares a laugh with Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, right, as he is recognized for Senior Day before the game against Ole Miss at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, March 5, 2016. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL) Adam Lau

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, center, watches Tennessee's game against Arkansas from the sideline during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL) Adam Lau

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes talks to an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Tennessee 84-58. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) Sean Rayford

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes talks with his team, from left, Admiral Schofield, Kevin Punter, and Armani Moore during the game against Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. Tennessee beat Kentucky, 84-77. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) Saul Young

Former University of Texas head basketball coach Rick Barnes, left, shakes hands with athletic director Dave Hart after being named the new head coach at the University of Tennessee Tuesday, March 31, 2015, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Tennessee Assistant Coach Rob Lanier speaks with Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes during a game between Tennessee and Tusculum at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday, October 31, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes argues with an official during Tennessee's game against Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt 67-56. BRIANNA PACIORKA/NEWS SENTINEL

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10) during a game between Tennessee and LSU at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes talks with his team during a timeout against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) Michael Woods, AP

University of Tennessee Men's Basketball Coach Rick Barnes waits in the audience for new University of Tennessee Athletic Director John Currie to be introduced before a ceremony in Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday, March 2, 2017. CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes talks to Admiral Schofield (5) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. Tennessee won 80-75. Jim Lytle

Tennessee opened the season ranked No. 6 in the AP poll, then rose to No. 5 after two weeks.

UT opened with blowouts against Lenoir-Rhyne and Louisiana. It then won hard-fought games against Georgia Tech and Louisville before falling to Kansas 87-81 in overtime and dropping to No. 6.

The Vols won two more blowouts after losing to Kansas but slipped to No. 7 after Michigan rose to No. 5. They jumped to No. 3 after beating former No. 1 Gonzaga, kept winning and held the No. 3 spot until rising to No. 1.

UT went undefeated in December and January before falling Feb. 16 at Kentucky. The Vols lost their third game of the season Feb. 23 at LSU, dropping to No. 7 the next week.